Dive Brief:
- At its annual I/O developer conference Thursday, Google revealed a slew of new features and updates to its AdWords, Analytics and AdMob services, in an effort to up app installs and engagement, as well as lure app developers.
- One major highlight was the launch of Universal App Campaigns for AdWords, a tool that helps app developers push out campaigns in an automated manner.
- Google Analytics received an upgrade with Mobile App Install Campaign Attribution that will offer advertisers deeper insight into ad performance.
Dive Insight:
Google is showing its enthusiasm for app advertising, zooming in on making increased app installs and improved ad campaigns in the I/O developer conference keynote. Over the past year, the search giant has made strides to drive app installs through ad updates including sponsored search for Google Play -- its Android app store -- and various updates to AdWords.
The world of app ads is booming across the board; Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Yahoo have all made app advertising a priority in recent months. Google notes that as fewer users are willing to pay for apps (only a third of users are paying for apps), developers using in-app ads have grown their revenue over 70% from 2013 to 2014. In response, the search titan has increased its role in helping monetize mobile apps, partnering with third-parties on the newly-announced efforts. With these new tools, Google aims to help developers find solutions for everything from app promotion to app monetization.
